In the weeks leading up to Christmas, many Ballarat families make a pilgrimage up Eureka Street to a property just outside town in Warrenheip to select and buy a Christmas tree.

Peter Parry says many have been doing it for over 20 years.

"The children they used to bring out when they first came are now coming out and bringing their own children, so I'm into the second generation now."

And he says they haven't taken the news that he's closing very well.

"I've had a few ladies crying on my shoulder, which took me back a bit, I didn't quite expect that."

In particularly busy years Peter calculated one in every 10 houses in Ballarat contained a tree grown on his farm.

"And I used to replant four to five thousand trees every year to replace what I sold."

He says while the business is still viable, it's time for him and his wife Linda to give it up.

"I'm getting to be an old man, and I'll be sorry to see it go, but I just can't do the work anymore."

Over the last 30 years business has remained pretty steady at Peter's place, and the business has survived everything from the advent of plastic trees to nationwide recessions.

"We found the worse the year was, the more they bought Christmas trees. It really surprised us to start with.

"But I think what it was, the doom and gloom, the country's going down, no jobs, we've got to do something to cheer us up, go and get a nice Christmas tree. The house smells like Christmas, forget about your worries.

"The tradition of a live tree in a house I don't think will ever go away. It's Christmas time, you smell the pine, nothing better."

Peter has sold trees from four to 13 feet high, that take from five to 13 years to grow.

He says it feels special to be a part of people's lives when they're (mostly) in a good mood.

"People come out here and they want to come out and see you, and they're all happy to see you, and the kids come out here and play around while mum and dad are getting the tree. It's an enjoyment time for them all."

And while he's had customers arrive as early as the start of November and there are always stragglers on Christmas Eve, the busiest time is consistently the first and second weekends of December.

Peter says while some people are very particular about their tree, most are easy to please.

"I don't think I've lost a handful of customers over 30 years. I enjoy talking to people, you meet all sorts of people in here."